Nursing Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Literature - Essay Example According to Davis et.al. (2003) there is no difference in the use of CPM post operatively or not. This study used randomized patients studied in three different group through a six month period. They looked at length of stay, pain control and flexion of the knee. The results of the research should that there was no difference in range of motion, pain, or utilization of services between patients that had just physical therapy and patients who also have CPM. This was supported by a study done by Denis et.al.(2006). This group performed a randomized control trial that was very similar and weighted the use of CPM in different intervals ranging from 35 minutes per day to continuous ROM. These were compared to patients who had active physical therapy. The results showed that there was no difference between the results of each of the combinations of therapy. Controversy comes when Wells et.al. (2008) did a meta-analysis of 14 studies. This analysis showed that in 14 randomized control trials the results were that CPM and PT increased active knee flexion and reduced hospital stay as well as pain and increased range of motion. Again, however, in the study done by Bruun-Olsen et.al (2009) in a randomized control trial done with active exercises versus CPM, results were very similar to other studies noted for this paper. There were not statistical differences noted between the control group and the trial group. Lenssen et.al. (2008) essentially agrees in his comparison of CPM during the 1st rehab phase to active physical therapy without CPM. This study shows only slight improvement with the use of CPM and is supported by Grilla (2008) who finds no support for CPM as improving any outcomes. In conclusion, of the six studies that were reviewed, only one supported the use of CPM for increased motion, reduced length of stay or reduced pain. One, which was a meta-analysis did support it but is vague in its content. From these six studies alone, there is no evidence based answer. There is reason to further research the use of CPM in post of knee replacement. References Bruun-Olsen, V., Heiberg, K. & Mengshoel, A. (2009). Continuous passive motion as an adjunct to active exercises in early rehabilitation following total knee arthroplasty. Disability and Rehabilitiation. 31(4). 277-283. Retrieved from Academic

BUS303 MODULE 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BUS303 MODULE 1 - Assignment Example Additionally, defamatory statements should be avoided because the company will take them with a lot of seriousness. This may entail filling a court suit against employees who tend to use defamatory statements when sending their emails, the company may further terminate the services rendered by employees who continue violating company email announcement policies. This means that they should disclose their contact details such as names, employee pin address, phone numbers, email address and the subject of their emails. The company will not accept emails containing graphics because the company would consider them less formal and unprofessional. Any email received from employees and all the stakeholders will be maintained in the company data base for future references and communication. Incase of clarity and quick responses employees are advised to follow the procedure of filling the forms available in the company website. Connectively, employees are advised to close check their emails b efore they press a sent button in order to clarify any unclear issue. On the contrary, XYZ company will ensure that all email sent by employees comply with the company email policies. In above connection, email sent will be treated with a lot of confidentiality and that no email sent by employees will be disclosed to any third party without the consent of the recipient. Additionally, after the company has received an email from employees or any other stake holder, an automatic email notification will be sent within twenty four hours to show the recipient that the XYZ Company is in receipt of an email sent. Afterwards, the relevant department will review the email sent and provide necessary feedback within two to five business days whereby, weekends and holidays will not be considered as business days. During the review the relevant department will assess whether the email sent is in compliance with the company email policy guidelines as provided in the book let. The company is looki ng forward to supply email policy booklet that provide a comprehensive discussion of the email policy guidelines. Incase of any assistance, employees are encouraged to seek for the advice in order to ensure that email policies are followed to the latter. Therefore, employees are advised to read the XYZ Company email policy guidelines and adhere to them until further announcements are made. From the Managing Director, XYZ Company Signature Summary on email policy announcement The main aim of adopting new email announcement policies is because the XYZ Company is contemplating global expansion to diversify its portfolio into other nation across the world. Therefore, the company wants to be more professional unlike before when dealing with its employees and all the relevant stakeholders (Christensen, Para, 3). This is because by being professional the company will attract numerous investors from the diaspora as many investors would have confidence with the company (Christensen, Para, 3- 5). The policy of ensuring that an email addressed to XYZ Company are precised and to the point may help to capture the necessary information without much strain and therefore, efficiency and effectiveness in communication will be enhanced (Johnson, PP.14-17). Connectively, the policy of using non defamatory statement aims at ensuring that the information

Examining Major Library Management Software Information Technology Essay

Examining Major Library Management Software Information Technology Essay With the gradual shift from earlier agricultural era to todays information era the users expectations towards library services has been changed. Now a days users are intended to get their required information through online. Even they have not enough time to search manual bibliographical sources of information to know the location of the document in the library, they needed. Users are so busy now. Therefore it is necessary for every library information centers to automate their services that are offered to the users of information. 2. WHAT IS LIBRARY AUTOMATION? International Encyclopedia of Information technology and library science defines automation as the technology concerned with the design and development of process and system that minimize the necessity of human invention in their operation. The term Library Automation in the past was used to refer to the mechanization of the traditional library operations like acquisition, serial control, cataloguing and circulation control. Today it is used to refer computerization of not only traditional library activities but also such related activities as information organization, information storage, retrieval, use etc Although computers play very important role in the automation of libraries, application of telecommunication and reprography technology is also equally important. 3. NEED FOR LIBRARY AUTOMATION The need for library automation can be explained following To facilitate wider and deeper access to information; To increase the retrievability of the resources; To achieve a new level of library management; To improve the existing services and to introduce new services; To improve control over collection; To have an efficient control over the entire operation; To avoid the duplication of work; To facilitate sharing of the resources among various libraries. Some of the factors that forced the libraries to go for automating the activities are: Information Explosion; Space Saving; Time saving; Availability of information in electronic form; Cost effectiveness; Data manipulation; Exploitation of computer readable databases. Therefore it can be said that the success of library automation mostly depends upon the nature of the software used for the purpose. Software helps in performing each every operations of an automated library information centers so quickly easily. 4. WHAT IS LIBRARY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE? An automated library is one where a computer system is applied to manage one or several of the librarys key operations. Such as acquisitions, serials control, cataloging, circulation and the public access catalogue. Automated library system depends on library automation packages are also called Library Management Software (LMS). Library automation software provides centralized management and process automation for government; public, private libraries .Library automation applications provide integration of self-service kiosks and online web portal access for catalog search, content delivery or reservation requests and patron check-out history. They also track and automate notification of overdue books and fines. 5. BENEFITS OF USING LMS IN LIBRARY Software helps in performing library operations quickly easily and thus saving the time of the users and staff. It also saves the manpower. LMS are integrated software package. LMS are compatible to various hardware systems. It is compatible to national international bibliographic standards. Operation in a multi-user environment. Operation in a networked environment. User friendly and menu driven. Least response time. Capable of handling bibliographical, numerical as well as textual data, also variable field. Sub-fields repeatable fields. Provision of data security through password. Provision for thesaurus and authority file maintenance. Output facility through card printing; bibliographies and on magnetic media (tape; diskette etc). Facilitate search through Boolean logic; Single term search; Multiple term search; Truncation search; Field directed searching etc. Import/ Export of data through standard exchange format. Provide powerful scanner capabilities. Display, sort and print records as per user defined formats. WWW interfacing. Multimedia compatibility. 6. LIBRARY AUTOMATION SOFTWARE PACKAGES There are hundreds of library automation software packages available at the global level. It is difficult to list them all. Here is a table that shows list of some available software packages designed and developed for the libraries. TABLE: 1 Sl. No. Name of the software Designing, Developing, Marketing/Distributing Agency/Organizations 1 CDS/ISIS (DOS), WINISIS(WINDOWS) UNESCO ,in India NISSAT/DSIT acts as the nodal agency 2 ALICE for Windows ,OASIS for DOS Soft Link Pvt., Australia. Marketed in India by Soft Link Asia 3 BASISPLUS and TECHLIB PLUS Information Dimensions Inc.(IDI), USA and NIC, New Delhi 4 SOUL INFLBNET center, Ahamedabad 5 Libsys Libsys corporation, New Delhi 6 Koha Katipo Communications Limited of Wellington, New Zealand 7 VIRTUAILS VTLS Inc, Virginia, USA 8 LAMP Jointly by Netherlands Library Association ,Pakistan Library Association and UNESCO 9 LIBSUIT SOFT-AID Computer Ltd., Pune 10 LIBRIS Frontier Information Technology Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad 11 WINSANJAY By DESIDOC under a NISSAT project 12 NG-TLMS.NET Developed in Germany by TRANCE Group 13 AUTOLIB By Autolib Software System, Chennai 14 E-GRANTHALYA By NIC, Bangalore 15 GRANTHALYA NISCAIR 16 NEWGENLIB By collaboration of Kesavan Institute of Information and Knowledge Management(KIIKM), Hyderabad and Venus Solutions Pvt. Ltd. 17 NEXLIB NEX Evolve Logic Solution Pvt. Ltd. 18 SLIM Algorhythems Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Pune 19 LIBMAN Datapro Consultancy Service,Pune 20 Maitrayee CMC Ltd., Kolkata 21 MINISIS Nirmal Institute of Computer Expertise, Tiruchirapalli 22 TULIP Tata Unisys, Noida 23 NILIS Asmita Consultant Ltd.,Mumbai 24 EASYLIB Easylib Corporation, Bangalore 25 TROODON Comtek service Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi 6.1 SOUL: A SEMI COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE SOUL (Software for University Libraries) provided by INFLIBNET center, Ahmedabad, INDIA. This software is intended to be provided to all the university libraries, which have been covered under INFLIBNET for which a separate agreement will have to be signed by each library. For others who are interested in using this software, particularly public funded organizations, separate modalities are being worked out including pricing, support, training etc. Hardly a cost in comparison to other commercial software is given by the libraries. That is why SOUL software is a semi commercial software. The software was designed to automate all house keeping operations in Library. The software is suitable not only for the academic libraries, but also for all types sizes of libraries, even school libraries. 6.2 LIBSYS: A PROPRIETARY SOFTWARE Libsys is a proprietary software. The term proprietary is derived from the Latin word proprietas meaning property. Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of its owner. The purchaser, or licensee, is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, but restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering. LIBSYS is developed by Libsys Corporation, New Delhi. Libsys is a complete, comprehensive, integrated system that manages all aspects of all kind of libraries i.e. public, national, higher education and research libraries. 6.3 KOHA: AN OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE KOHA is a full featured Integrated Library System. It is an open source software. There is no cost for the license; you have the freedom to modify the product to adapt it to your needs. Like other open source software KOHA also provide the original source code used to create it so that users can modify it to make it work better for them. KOHA developed initially in New Zealand by Katipo Communications with Horowhenua Library Trust in1999. Koha is using now by so many libraries around the world, including academic, public, school, special libraries of Australia, Africa, Canada, USA, France, India and off course New Zealand. 7. COMPARISONS BETWEEN THESE THREE KINDS OF SOFTWARE This paper gives emphasize on a comparative study among these 3 types of software. Each one has unique features regarding to its server, web server, Architecture, client, price, standard support, training provided to the customers etc. The following Table: 2 Shows the comparisons between these. TABLE: 2 Sl. No. FEATURE SOUL LIBSYS KOHA 1 Architecture Client-server based architecture, only OPAC is web based. Based on client-server model and TCP/IP for communication and networking. Based on a client-server architecture. 2 Server Windows-NT/ Windows2000 server (operating system) MS-SQL server 7.0/ Advance server 2000(RDBMS) personal web server or Windows NT IIS with option pack 4.0 installed or Windows 2000 as server for web opac college version windows-98/ ME/NT/2000/XP/2003(operating system). UNIX, LINUX Pentium machine with SCO Unix/Unix Ware SunSparc with solaris Alpha with OSF/1 RS/6000 with AIX HP-9000 with IRIX Windows NT/2000/XP Windows 95/98/NT/2000/XP/ 2003(operating system) Windows/Linux 3 Client Standard Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP) Standard Windows (95/98/NT/2000/XP) Web Enabled (JSP implementation) Unix Workstations X-Windows Workstations (Xterm) VT220 compatible terminals Thin Java clients. Windows/Linux 4 Web server IIS Apache, IIS Apache, IIS. 5 GUI Based on GUI browsers. Based on GUI browsers. Based on GUI browsers. 6 Character Encoding Unicode for Language Computing Support ISCII UNICODE UNICODE 7 Standard support Support internationally known standards such as MARC 21, CCF, AACR2, LCSH. MARC 21 and AACR2R(selected authority fields) a)Industry standards: Z39.50, UNIMARC, ISO2709, MARC21 b)Technical standards: the OPAC is valid XHTML, and respects the standards o accessibility c) web standards recommended by the WWW Consortium. 8 Database MSSQL, MYSQL Software can be used with either SQL Server, ORACLE, or MySQL as a back-end RDBMS with ODBC compatibility. Koha uses a dual database design that utilizes the strengths of the two major industry-standard database types (text-based and RDBMS). This design feature ensures that Koha is scalable enough to meet the transaction load of any library, no matter what the size of the library. 9 Data import /export data exchange through ISO-2709 standard CCF(ISO-2709), MARC(ANSI-Z39.x) data exchange through ISO-2709 standard 10 Acquisition Module yes yes yes Catalogue Module yes yes yes Circulation Module yes yes yes OPAC Module yes yes yes Serial Control Module yes yes yes Administrati-on Module yes yes yes 11 Training and manual An extensive training in SOUL will be provided to the library staff on site upon its installation by Inflibnet staff Only user manual is available, system manual (such as installation and configuration of server not provided) system manual kept hidden or not provided so that AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) can be taken from libraries. Full training and manual is provided 12 Support Team National and Regional Soul coordinators are appointed for this,free support is provided Costly only on the basis of AMC(10 to 20% of total costs) charged from the libraries Only online discussion and support is available free of cost 13 Price 20-50 thousand. No AMC 4 to 5 lakhs and 10-20% AMC. Free 14 License No other commitment, what is their in it may be used Bias with developers and distributors, even committed things are not yet done properly at various places where it is in use. General Public License 15 Latest Release SOUL 1.0 was released during CALIBER 2000. The latest version of the software i.e. SOUL 2.0 released by the end of the year 2008. 3.2 (October 2010) 16 Nature of developing organization Non for profit or government Commercial Developing under open source category. 8. CONCLUSION As it was mentioned earlier that the success of library automation mostly depends upon the nature of the software it is used for. Therefore it is necessary for any library information center that they choose the software very carefully. The management must discuss about how the software matches the librarys requirements, product quality, cost factor, various features of the software, its functions, installation date and time duration of installation, staff training, support services, licensing, used standard etc. Here we discussed about these 3 software and it can be said that as in Koha the source code is open so the users are free to innovate and improve the software to meet their needs free. Innovation also means that open source software has much faster development cycles when compared to proprietary and commercial software. Because as the source code is open so it can be improve again again. But this is not possible in the case of other 2 software. LIBSYS is so costly (around 4-5 lakhs). So it is not possible for a small library to adopt it. But in case of a big library where money is not a big issue for their LIBSYS is appropriate. Because data entry, searching procedure is so much easy in LIBSYS and also when technical support is needed for application of the software in the library LIBSYS always provide it. Although SOUL is not so costly but it required a large technically strong manpower. So SOUL is appropriate for a big library who can provide manpower but at the same time they have not enough money to effort LIBSYS or some other costly software. Although SOUL has a college version also. And for a small library which can not afford money but they are intendent to make their services and operational functions automate and even they have not also manpower ability. For them KOHA is the only option. Even though wide range of Library automation softwares are available , it is necessary for librarians to keep watch on the developments and to choose appropriate software package depending on their needs.

Existence of God :: Ontological arguments

The dilemma of the existence of God has troubled mankind for thousands of years. Many philosophers have put forth their theories in order to prove the existence of God. Most of these arguments can be termed as ontological. These arguments differ from other arguments for the existence of God since they are not based on empirical data such as the existence or nature of the universe, but are rather grounded in pure logic. First we will consider the arguments presented by Anselm. He believed that God is ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’; if one understand this, then God exists in his mind; but it is greater to exist in reality as well as in the mind than to exist only in the mind; therefore, something that exists only in the mind is not ‘that than which nothing greater can be conceived’; therefore, God exists in reality as well. Anselm also puts this another way: we can conceive of a being that cannot be conceived not to exist; such a being is greater than one that can be conceived not to exist; therefore the greatest conceivable being cannot be conceived not to exist; therefore, the greatest conceivable being exists. This argument does seem to conclude that something resembling the traditional theistic God exists – unlike the cosmological and teleological arguments, which seem restricted to a creator and a designer respectively. This argument was immediately criticized by Gaunilo, who argued that parallel reasoning could be applied to prove the existence of a perfect island. This is a reduction of Anselm’s position: it shows it to have absurd consequences. However, it is not clear that there is a coherent concept of the perfect island to start with: how many palm trees is the perfect number? Anselm’s own reply seems to distinguish the perfect island – which is a perfect example of one kind of thing – from the perfect being – which is a perfect example of a thing, with no restriction to kind. It is no virtue, excellence, perfection of an island qua island that it exists, but it is a virtue, excellence, perfection of a being that it exists, so the argument works only for the concept of a perfect being. The bigger criticism is the one Kant levied at Descartes’s version of the argument, but applies equally to Anselm’s. It is that existence is not a great-making quality of a being, because it is not a quality of a being at all; in Kant’s terms ‘existence is not a real predicate’.

HR Contributes at SYSCO

Many people in the United States are not familiar with SYSCO, but they see its results because SYSCO is the largest food services and distribution company with almost $24 billion in annual sales. SYSCO supplies food products to customers in restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, hospitals, and other companies. In a firm the size of SYSCO with more than 40,000 employees, HR management is making significant contributions to organizational success. As an indication of this success, SYSCO received the Optimas award for general HR Excellence from Workforce Magazine. Beginning several years ago, the need to revitalize HR activities was recognized by both executives and senior HR staff members. At the time, the SYSCO operating regions had administered many of their own HR practices. To bring change to HR corporate-wide, while preserving the entrepreneurial independence of the regions, a â€Å"market-driven† HR approach was developed. In this approach, corporate HR identified ways it could assist regional operations, and then developed programs and services that met regional needs. However, unlike in many other corporations where corporate HR programs would be â€Å"mandated† to operating units, SYSCO took a different approach. Key to market-driven HR is that managers in the regional operations must be convinced to â€Å"buy† the corporate HR services. For example, if a supervisory training program is developed by corporate HR, regional managers decide if they want to use the program for supervisory training in their regions. Another part of creating HR as market driven was the establishment by corporate HR of a Virtual Resource Center (VRC) to provide services to managers and employees. A key aspect of the VRC is use of HR technology to gather extensive data on HR activities and provide that data to operating managers. One source of data is workplace climate surveys of employees. Using the survey data, HR developed initiatives to increase safety, which reduced workers’ compensation claims by 30%, resulting in savings of $10 million per year. Another problem that SYSCO had was high turnover rates of night shift warehouse workers. Recruiting these workers has been a constant challenge for SYSCO and other distribution firms. By implementing a variety of programs and services, based on employee and managerial input from surveys, the retention rate for these warehouse employees has been increased by 20%, resulting in savings of $15 million per year. These savings are due to reduced time and money spent recruiting, selecting, and training new employees. Also, employees with more experience are more productive and more knowledgeable about SYSCO operations and products. Another area where HR has contributed is with truck and delivery drivers. Data gathered through the VRC has been used to revise base pay and incentive programs, increase driver retention rates, and improve driver safety records. Additionally, customer satisfaction rates increased and delivery expenses declined. All of these changes illustrate that HR efforts at SYSCO have been paying off for the company, managers, and employees. But as the value of HR efforts is recognized by more managers, HR’s role at SYSCO is likely to continue growing and changing.

Analysis Of The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao - 1200 Words

The Faceless Man Throughout Junot Diaz’s novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, the Man Without a Face is a recurring character with no evident features. All of his scenes include an event in which he is either a mysterious spectator watching the distress around himself or joins in on the torture. His appearances throughout the story are suggestive of evil or violent incidents that are about to occur. More times than not, the acts are performed by Trujillo s men. Almost consistently, he emerges whenever one of the main characters is in great discord. The faceless man symbolizes the foreshadowing of malicious occurrences caused by Fukà º. Fukà º is a prevalent theme throughout the novel and is portrayed through the faceless man. The Washington Post speaks of their interview with Diaz and stated, â€Å"â€Å"Fuku americanus† Diaz explains, is generally a curse or a doom of some kind; specifically the Curse and the Doom of the New World. It seems especially contagious and deadly in the Dominican Republic, where it is believed that the arrival of Europeans on Hispaniola unleashed the Fukà º on the world.†Ã¢â‚¬  (Review: It’s a Wonderful Life 4). Fukà º is shown through the many horrific events that are shown throughout. Trujillo is believed to be able to put the curse on whoever he chooses for many generations to follow. In the news article Fukà º Americanus, Deresiewicz states, â€Å"The white man’s advent, the narrator tells us, released a demon into the world: Fukà º americanus, â€Å"the Curse andShow MoreRelatedThe Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao Analysis1691 Words   |  7 PagesThe Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, a novel composed by Junot Diaz, Oscar Wao tells in what presents to be an oral conversation, consisting in part youth with popular cultural references to fantasy and sci-fi, or American hip-hop, and of Spanish slang extracted from the language of Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban, and South American. Diaz uses transnational as a critique contributing to the inspection of the achievements and the limitations of multiculturalism and its academic phenomenon, ethnicRead MoreAnalysis Of The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao857 Words   |  4 Pagesthem is called Junot Diaz. â€Å"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao† is the title of Junot Diaz book in which we can perceive the author’s allusion to William’s Shakespe are play in order to comprehend the book better wise. There are many allusions that Junot Diaz had in mind of the play â€Å"The Tempest† while writing his book and the one that beats them all is the resembles of the rightful Duke of Milan in the play, Prospero and Yunior, the narrator of the story of Oscar Wao. Each of their personalities,Read MoreThe Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao Analysis935 Words   |  4 Pagesthey were your friend, in the end, it is for the best. In the novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao written by Junot Dà ­az, Oscar recognizes his friends are not genuine companions. This is evident because they exclude Oscar when they hang out, make derogatory remarks towards him, and overall making him feel inferior to them. Oscar’s friend Al, assists Oscar’s other friend, Miggs, in finding a girlfriend, while excluding Oscar, â€Å"It killed him that they hadn’t thought to include him in their girlRead MoreAnalysis of The Brief Won drous Life of Oscar Wao1003 Words   |  5 Pagesthere is love, there is life†. Human beings cannot live a fulfilled life without love of some kind. In Junot Diaz’s Novel, â€Å"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao† we see that love plays a vital role. Love, or the lack of it, impacts each individual in the story and leads them to become reckless or grow stronger. Whether its love from a parent, from a friend, or a significant other, we need it to function, to grow, and to be able to accept ourselves. At a young age, Oscar was what nowadays you mayRead MoreThe Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao Analysis772 Words   |  4 Pages Giving up friends you know and love is difficult, however if they were never your friend, in the end, it is for the best. In the novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Dà ­az makes Oscar experience numerous hardships, and makes him to overcome them. One of these hardships were when Oscar recognizes his friends are not genuine, and has to make a choice to continue being friends with them or letting them go. He concludes they are not genuine when they exclude him when they hang out and makeRead MoreThe Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao Analysis1868 Words   |  8 Pagesof Life Throughout the novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Oscar falls in love with several girls throughout his life whom never love him back. This is partially due to Oscar’s love for women that are extremely out of his league. These women are beautiful and desire the stereotypical man which is the opposite of overweight, nerdy Oscar. Several songs display the scenes throughout Oscar’s life in which he falls head over heels for women that would never publicly date him. When Oscar isRead MoreAnalysis Of Junot Diazs The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao1016 Words   |  5 PagesIn Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Dominican men are judged via their embodiment of the hyper-masculine ideals and a number of women they sleep with. Outliers such as Oscar de Leon are therefore criticized, humiliated and emasculated by fellow members of society. Diaz characterizes Oscar’s plight as his struggle to lose his virginity: a major accomplishment of the Dominican, male ideal. Yunior, on the contrary, is the epitome of a Dominican man. He is able to sweep women off theirRead MoreAnalysis of Junot Diazs The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao870 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿To My Dear Friend Oscar, As one of your confidants and close companions, I know that you are one of this worlds rarest souls, a great person who has so much to offer the world, but one who simply prefers to keep the best parts of yourself private. I feel truly honored that you have revealed some of your secrets to me, and I want you to know that your friendship means more to me than you can ever imagine. You are misunderstood by a world which is unready and unwilling to know true beauty, andRead MoreAnalysis Of Junot Diazs The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao962 Words   |  4 Pagesfated to happen whether mental or physical. This connects to Junot Diaz’s novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, because in it Diaz argues that all forms of colonization and oppression creates rebellion. He weaves this argument with Oscar’s characterization, the conflict between mother and daughter, Oscars’ â€Å"Last Laugh†. To begin, one must examine the characterization of our protagonist, Oscar. In the novel Oscar is an ample, second generation Dominican living in New Jersey. He loves to writeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Brief And Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao By Junot Diaz, And The Plague Of Doves2293 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction: History is impossible to change but is imperative to learn from. Throughout three novels: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, and The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich, each protagonist is faced with the challenge of overcoming events in their past to positively impact their present. However, each of the protagonists are unsuccessful, which results in them repeating mistakes of their past. Jay Gatsby is impacted by his love

Why Christmas Trees Smell So Good

Is there anything more wonderful than the smell of a Christmas tree? Of course, Im talking about a real Christmas tree rather than an artificial tree. The fake tree may have an odor, but its not coming from a healthy mix of chemicals. Artificial trees release residues from flame retardants and plasticizers. Contrast this with the aroma of a freshly cut tree, which may not be all that healthy either, but certainly smells nice. Curious about the chemical composition of Christmas tree aroma? Here are some of the key molecules responsible for the smell Key Takeaways: Christmas Tree Smell The aroma of a live Christmas tree depends on the tree species. Three of the key fragrance molecules found in many conifers are alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and bornyl acetate.Other molecules include the terpenes limonene, myrcene, camphene, and alpha-phellandrene.Other plants produce some of these chemicals. Examples include peppermint, thyme, citrus, and hops. ÃŽ ±-Pinene and ÃŽ ²-Pinene Pinene (C10H16) occurs in two enantiomers, which are molecules that are mirror images of each other. Pinene belongs to a class of hydrocarbons known as terpenes. Terpenes are released by all trees, although conifers are particularly rich in pinene. ÃŽ ²-pinene has a fresh, woody fragrance, while ÃŽ ±-pinene smells a bit more like turpentine. Both forms of the molecule are flammable, which is part of why Christmas trees are incredibly easy to burn. These molecules are volatile liquids at room temperature, releasing most of the characteristic Christmas tree smell. Alpha-pinene is an organic molecule produced by conifers. LAGUNA DESIGN / Getty Images An interesting side note about pinene and other terpenes is that plants partially control their environment using these chemicals. The compounds react with air to produce aerosols that act as nucleation points or seeds for water, promoting cloud formation and conferring a cooling effect. The aerosols are visible. Have you ever wondered why the Smoky Mountains actually appear smoky? Its from the living trees, not campfires! The presence of terpenes from trees also affects weather and cloud formation over other forests and around lakes and rivers. Bornyl Acetate Bornyl acetate (C12H20O2) is sometimes called heart of pine because it produces a rich odor, described as balsamic or camphorous. The compound is an ester found in pine and fir trees. Balsam firs and silver pines are two types of fragrant species rich in bornyl acetate that are often used for Christmas trees. Other Chemicals in Christmas Tree Smell The cocktail of chemicals that produces Christmas tree smell depends on the species of tree, but many conifers used for Christmas trees also waft odors from limonene (a citrus scent), myrcene (a terpene partly responsible for the aroma of hops, thyme, and cannabis), camphene (a camphor smell), and ÃŽ ±-phellandrene (peppermint and citrus-smelling monoterpene). Why Doesnt My Christmas Tree Smell? Just having a real tree doesnt guarantee your Christmas tree will smell Christmas-y! The fragrance of the tree depends primarily on two factors. The first is the health and hydration level of the tree. A freshly cut tree is typically more fragrant than one that was cut some time ago. If the tree isnt taking up water, its sap wont be moving, so very little scent will be released. Ambient temperature matters, too, so a tree outdoors in the cold wont be as fragrant as one at room temperature. The second factor is the species of tree. Different types of tree produce different scents, plus some kinds of tree retain their fragrance after being cut better than others. Pine, cedar, and hemlock all retain a strong, pleasing smell after they have been cut. A fir or spruce tree may not have as strong a smell or may lose its scent more quickly. In fact, some people strongly dislike the odor of spruce. Others are downright allergic to the oils from cedar trees. If youre able to select the species of your Christmas tree and the smell of the tree is important, you might want to review tree descriptions by the National Christmas Tree Association, which includes characteristics such as odor. If you have a living (potted) Christmas tree, it wont produce a strong smell. Less odor is released because the tree has an undamaged trunk and branches. You can spritz the room with Christmas tree fragrance if you want to add that special aroma to your holiday celebration.